Paul Verhoeven's 1997 sci-fi war film "Starship Troopers," based on the 1959 novel by Robert A. Heinlein, is a vicious satire that lampoons the aggressive, unthinking language used to bolster unjust, fascistic wars. The main characters are all young, attractive, empty-headed grunts inducted into a meaningless 24th-century intergalactic war with a distant species of giant intelligent arachnids.
The most notable feature of Verhoeven's film, however, is the propaganda videos that periodically fill the screen. Clear-voiced, boldly preachy short films announce to the audience that the war needs to be fought and that the government needs as many able-bodied youths as it can wrangle to feed them into the soul-hollowing combat machine. "The only good bug is a dead bug," people growl. Anti-bug sentiment is high.
Also, the film is a comedy. Screenwriter Edward Neumeier ("RoboCop") strikes a broadly cynical tone, playfully dissecting the American war machine and the politicians who spoke of war as a grand,...
The most notable feature of Verhoeven's film, however, is the propaganda videos that periodically fill the screen. Clear-voiced, boldly preachy short films announce to the audience that the war needs to be fought and that the government needs as many able-bodied youths as it can wrangle to feed them into the soul-hollowing combat machine. "The only good bug is a dead bug," people growl. Anti-bug sentiment is high.
Also, the film is a comedy. Screenwriter Edward Neumeier ("RoboCop") strikes a broadly cynical tone, playfully dissecting the American war machine and the politicians who spoke of war as a grand,...
- 4/28/2024
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
“Sentinel,” by Hollywood legend Phil Tippett, and “Sister Inconnue,” the first solo directorial outing of Rkss’ Anouk Whissell, cold well be two highlights at a 2024 Cannes Frontières Platform that looks set to underscore the robust range of genre as it is embraced by Hollywood, big independents, horror devotees and auteurs alike.
Creator of creatures for “Star Wars” and “Jurassic Park,” Tippett may have terrified more people than anybody alive. If a teaser is anything to go by, “Sentinel,” a project, may well pick up on the style of 2021’s experimental and nightmarish stop motion/animation “Mad God.”
“Sentinel” features a battleground reminiscent of WWI hellish horror, giant bugs echoing “Starship Troopers,” Tippett’s last big job, attack droids and the statuesque figures of Osiris, Horus and Anubis, the last of which saves the hero, the gas-masked Sentinel, from a gruesome battlefield.
Sure to be a huge draw, an expanded version...
Creator of creatures for “Star Wars” and “Jurassic Park,” Tippett may have terrified more people than anybody alive. If a teaser is anything to go by, “Sentinel,” a project, may well pick up on the style of 2021’s experimental and nightmarish stop motion/animation “Mad God.”
“Sentinel” features a battleground reminiscent of WWI hellish horror, giant bugs echoing “Starship Troopers,” Tippett’s last big job, attack droids and the statuesque figures of Osiris, Horus and Anubis, the last of which saves the hero, the gas-masked Sentinel, from a gruesome battlefield.
Sure to be a huge draw, an expanded version...
- 4/19/2024
- by John Hopewell
- Variety Film + TV
"Starship Troopers" was not a big hit when it arrived in 1997, and many audiences didn't know what to make of the darkly satirical tone created by "RoboCop" filmmaker Paul Verhoeven. In the years since its release, however, Verhoeven's violent, funny, action-packed sci-fi flick has been re-evaluated and become both a cult classic and a movie that some people still don't understand.
Adapted from Robert A. Heinlein's novel, "Starship Troopers" follows a group of youngsters who get swept up in being soldiers when alien bugs attack Earth. Of course, the war ends up being hell, and many of these fresh young faces are cut down in increasingly nasty ways. And then, just in case all of the satire went over your head, Verhoeven ends things by having Neil Patrick Harris show up dressed in a Nazi uniform.
Would you like to know more?
Well, how about this: did you know...
Adapted from Robert A. Heinlein's novel, "Starship Troopers" follows a group of youngsters who get swept up in being soldiers when alien bugs attack Earth. Of course, the war ends up being hell, and many of these fresh young faces are cut down in increasingly nasty ways. And then, just in case all of the satire went over your head, Verhoeven ends things by having Neil Patrick Harris show up dressed in a Nazi uniform.
Would you like to know more?
Well, how about this: did you know...
- 3/30/2024
- by Chris Evangelista
- Slash Film
This article contains minor spoilers for "Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire."
Godzilla is having a bit of a resurgence, between the unprecedented Oscar victory, the TV series that did not need to be this good, and now the movie "Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire." After the world's strongest Titans battled it out and then fought against a giant robot, "Godzilla X Kong" sees the Titans taking control of the entire planet. The surface is now Godzilla's territory while Kong rules over the Hollow Earth. Things are simple and peaceful, until a secret society of giant apes decides to take over the planet, forcing Kong and Godzilla to team up and stop them.
This may be the best movie in the MonsterVerse yet, one that balances human drama with kaiju fun, expanding the world of the Hollow Earth and fleshing out the consequences and state of the world...
Godzilla is having a bit of a resurgence, between the unprecedented Oscar victory, the TV series that did not need to be this good, and now the movie "Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire." After the world's strongest Titans battled it out and then fought against a giant robot, "Godzilla X Kong" sees the Titans taking control of the entire planet. The surface is now Godzilla's territory while Kong rules over the Hollow Earth. Things are simple and peaceful, until a secret society of giant apes decides to take over the planet, forcing Kong and Godzilla to team up and stop them.
This may be the best movie in the MonsterVerse yet, one that balances human drama with kaiju fun, expanding the world of the Hollow Earth and fleshing out the consequences and state of the world...
- 3/30/2024
- by Rafael Motamayor
- Slash Film
After introducing readers to the masked convention slasher known as Killr™ last fall, Stephen Graham Jones, Joshua Viola, and Ben Matsuya are teaming up to bring readers back to the Colorado Festival of Horror for another round of killer cosplay in True Believers #2. Once again featuring star-studded cameos and plenty of murderous mayhem, True Believers #2 is coming soon to Kickstarter via Hex Publishers, and we're thrilled to exclusively reveal that Trivium vocalist and guitarist Matthew Kiichi Heafy will appear in the second issue, and we also have a reveal of the new variant cover by Luigi Scarcella!
Below, we have the official press release and exclusive variant cover art reveal, and to support True Believers #2, be sure to keep an eye on the comic book's official Kickstarter page:
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/hexpublishers/true-believers-2-a-horror-cosplay-comic-book?ref=4cf9gc
Also, to learn more about True Believers, watch Jonathan James' previous...
Below, we have the official press release and exclusive variant cover art reveal, and to support True Believers #2, be sure to keep an eye on the comic book's official Kickstarter page:
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/hexpublishers/true-believers-2-a-horror-cosplay-comic-book?ref=4cf9gc
Also, to learn more about True Believers, watch Jonathan James' previous...
- 3/26/2024
- by Derek Anderson
- DailyDead
Oscar Award-winning visual effects artist Phil Tippett’s Tippett Studio has engaged in an agreement to sell the majority of stakes to Indian visual effects powerhouse PhantomFX, it was announced today.
We’ve been told, “The company will continue to operate business-as-usual and will continue to provide high-level VFX and post-production services to the major studios, networks, and independents in Hollywood. The transaction represents a strategic move for both partners and will be instrumental in furthering innovation, fostering creativity, and driving growth for the VFX industry. Offices will continue to be based in the U.S., Canada, India, Dubai and the UK.”
Here’s the full press release for all the info you need…
“PhantomFX recognizes the value and prestige of the Tippett name and plans to retain the moniker as they expand into the western VFX market. A key aspect of the partnership will be PhantomFX collaborating with the...
We’ve been told, “The company will continue to operate business-as-usual and will continue to provide high-level VFX and post-production services to the major studios, networks, and independents in Hollywood. The transaction represents a strategic move for both partners and will be instrumental in furthering innovation, fostering creativity, and driving growth for the VFX industry. Offices will continue to be based in the U.S., Canada, India, Dubai and the UK.”
Here’s the full press release for all the info you need…
“PhantomFX recognizes the value and prestige of the Tippett name and plans to retain the moniker as they expand into the western VFX market. A key aspect of the partnership will be PhantomFX collaborating with the...
- 3/12/2024
- by John Squires
- bloody-disgusting.com
Exclusive: PhantomFX, an Indian VFX powerhouse that has worked on everything from The Avengers and The Walking Dead franchise to Outlander, is set to acquire a majority stake in Tippett Studio, the animation and visual effects production company of Oscar-winning filmmaker Phil Tippett.
Under the agreement, Tippett Studio will retain its name and continue to provide high-level VFX and post-production services to the major studios, networks, and independents. Tippett North America CEO Gary Mundell will stay on in his current role with a seat on the board alongside Cliff McDowell, who has now moved into the COO position for North America.
Retaining his seat on the board, Phil Tippett will continue his creative involvement with Tippett Studio, working alongside his team and those at PhantomFX to develop standalone intellectual property. The transaction represents a strategic move for both partners, as PhantomFX looks to elevate its status within the industry by...
Under the agreement, Tippett Studio will retain its name and continue to provide high-level VFX and post-production services to the major studios, networks, and independents. Tippett North America CEO Gary Mundell will stay on in his current role with a seat on the board alongside Cliff McDowell, who has now moved into the COO position for North America.
Retaining his seat on the board, Phil Tippett will continue his creative involvement with Tippett Studio, working alongside his team and those at PhantomFX to develop standalone intellectual property. The transaction represents a strategic move for both partners, as PhantomFX looks to elevate its status within the industry by...
- 3/12/2024
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
It’s Millie Bobby Brown versus dragon in Netflix’s dark fantasy adventure. Here’s our review of Damsel:
By pure coincidence, Damsel arrives on Netflix almost exactly a century after German director Fritz Lang introduced what was likely cinema’s first dragon in 1924’s Die Nibelungen. Lang and his collaborators brought their fearsome creature to life with a mixture of rubber, mechanical joints and puppetry (plus a bit of cocaine if one account is to be believed), and the result has a physical presence that is still captivating 100 years later.
In Damsel, director Juan Carlos Fresnadillo and production designer Patrick Tatopoulos used CGI to create their dragon, but it still has plenty of weight, personality, and most importantly, menace. Unlike the gigantic winged beasts of, say, 1981’s Dragonslayer (which had terrific animation from Phil Tippett) or 2002’s Reign Of Fire, Damsel’s dragon is also relatively compact – it’s...
By pure coincidence, Damsel arrives on Netflix almost exactly a century after German director Fritz Lang introduced what was likely cinema’s first dragon in 1924’s Die Nibelungen. Lang and his collaborators brought their fearsome creature to life with a mixture of rubber, mechanical joints and puppetry (plus a bit of cocaine if one account is to be believed), and the result has a physical presence that is still captivating 100 years later.
In Damsel, director Juan Carlos Fresnadillo and production designer Patrick Tatopoulos used CGI to create their dragon, but it still has plenty of weight, personality, and most importantly, menace. Unlike the gigantic winged beasts of, say, 1981’s Dragonslayer (which had terrific animation from Phil Tippett) or 2002’s Reign Of Fire, Damsel’s dragon is also relatively compact – it’s...
- 3/8/2024
- by Ryan Lambie
- Film Stories
It is 36 years since RoboCop blasted its way onto UK cinema screens and made a splash of epic, gruesome, proportions. With that a cult-like following is born and the film’s influence cannot be overstated.
RoboDoc: The Creation of RoboCop is an incredibly methodical ‘making of’ documentary that has now set the standard and an exceptionally high one, no less. It comes as no surprise with the success of their recent projects which include Hollywood Dreams & Nightmares: The Robert Englund Story and Pennywise: The Story of It.
The documentary oozes passion and is testament to its directors Christopher Griffiths and Eastwood Allen clear love for the film in a project that has been over seven years in the making.
This four part series spans over more than four hours is nothing short of a triumph, it is forensic in its analysis and brings to life the chaos of the RoboCop shoot and does so brilliantly.
RoboDoc: The Creation of RoboCop is an incredibly methodical ‘making of’ documentary that has now set the standard and an exceptionally high one, no less. It comes as no surprise with the success of their recent projects which include Hollywood Dreams & Nightmares: The Robert Englund Story and Pennywise: The Story of It.
The documentary oozes passion and is testament to its directors Christopher Griffiths and Eastwood Allen clear love for the film in a project that has been over seven years in the making.
This four part series spans over more than four hours is nothing short of a triumph, it is forensic in its analysis and brings to life the chaos of the RoboCop shoot and does so brilliantly.
- 2/5/2024
- by Thomas Alexander
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
The campy erotic horror Suitable Flesh, from director Joe Lynch (Mayhem, Chillerama) and adapted from H.P. Lovecraft’s cult favorite short story, is streaming exclusively on Shudder, AMC Networks’ premium streaming service for horror, thrillers and the supernatural. The film will also be available to stream on AMC+.
Psychiatrist Elizabeth Derby becomes obsessed with helping a young patient who’s suffering from extreme personality disorder. However, it soon leads her into occult danger as she tries to escape from a horrific fate. Starring Heather Graham (Boogie Nights), Judah Lewis (The Babysitter), Bruce Davison (X-Men, Ozark) and Barbara Crampton (Superhost).
Suitable Flesh was produced by Crampton, Bob Portal, Inderpal Singh and Joe Wicker.
About Shudder
AMC Networks’ Shudder is a premium streaming video service, super-serving members with the best selection in genre entertainment, covering horror, thrillers and the supernatural. Shudder’s expanding library of film, TV series, and Original Content is...
Psychiatrist Elizabeth Derby becomes obsessed with helping a young patient who’s suffering from extreme personality disorder. However, it soon leads her into occult danger as she tries to escape from a horrific fate. Starring Heather Graham (Boogie Nights), Judah Lewis (The Babysitter), Bruce Davison (X-Men, Ozark) and Barbara Crampton (Superhost).
Suitable Flesh was produced by Crampton, Bob Portal, Inderpal Singh and Joe Wicker.
About Shudder
AMC Networks’ Shudder is a premium streaming video service, super-serving members with the best selection in genre entertainment, covering horror, thrillers and the supernatural. Shudder’s expanding library of film, TV series, and Original Content is...
- 2/2/2024
- by Peter 'Witchfinder' Hopkins
- Horror Asylum
Dr. Viktor Frankenstein is the fictional keystone for generations of horror artists. Monster makers bring dreams and nightmares to life, realizing a filmmaker's vision for the impossible things we need to see and shudder at. While movie monsters existed long before Bela Lugosi put on Dracula's cape in 1931, the birth of the classic Universal Monsters franchise is hard to ignore as a watershed moment for things that go bump in the night. Since then, artists like Ray Harryhausen, Phil Tippett, Stan Winston, and countless more have grown with the technology used to evolve an idea from the drawing board to the cinema screen.
However, making these critters isn't always a clear-cut process. Growing an idea into something we can shudder at can take a few attempts to get terrifying right. Sometimes, even the things that go bump in the night had their awkward teenage years. Below, find out about some...
However, making these critters isn't always a clear-cut process. Growing an idea into something we can shudder at can take a few attempts to get terrifying right. Sometimes, even the things that go bump in the night had their awkward teenage years. Below, find out about some...
- 1/29/2024
- by Margaret David
- Slash Film
Cody Kennedy and Tim Rutherford's "The Last Video Store" is more than a midnighter ode to mom-and-pop rental shops where countless cinefreaks found their calling. It's a meta-horror blast of nostalgia about how loving movies can be both a blessing and a curse. Kennedy and Rutherford told my Fantastic Fest audience their production is held together with duct tape and passion — which is unmistakably evident in both cases. "The Last Video Store" isn't the sharpest horror genre satire, nor the prettiest pumpkin in the patch, but there's a scrappiness to classic genre homages that makes this a treat for cult film lovers everywhere.
Kevin Martin stars as Blaster Video owner Kevin (Martin owns Edmonton's The Lobby DVD Shop) — one of the last proprietors of VHS tapes amidst the almighty format wars. In walks Nyla (Vanessa Adams) with a stack of overdue videotapes on behalf of her father. Kevin regales...
Kevin Martin stars as Blaster Video owner Kevin (Martin owns Edmonton's The Lobby DVD Shop) — one of the last proprietors of VHS tapes amidst the almighty format wars. In walks Nyla (Vanessa Adams) with a stack of overdue videotapes on behalf of her father. Kevin regales...
- 9/26/2023
- by Matt Donato
- Slash Film
The recent trend of docu-feature series exploring the history of popular IPs is gradually becoming popular among dedicated fans due to how genuinely interesting and informative they can be. The most recently released among such ventures is the first season of Robodoc: The Creation of Robocop, a Screambox original, which takes a look back at the excruciating production process, development, and brainstorming that went behind the 1987 sci-fi classic Robocop. The movie is still considered one of the topmost sci-fi pieces ever released by Western media, which was not only topical and philosophical but it has also proven itself to be timeless, at least in the current era more than ever.
The four one-hour-long episodes, which include excerpts from detailed narrations of the chief creator duo Edward Neumeier and Michael Miner, director Paul Verhoeven, the Robocop actor Peter Weller himself, cinematographer Josh Vacano, production designer Phil Tippett, William Sandell (Rob Bottin...
The four one-hour-long episodes, which include excerpts from detailed narrations of the chief creator duo Edward Neumeier and Michael Miner, director Paul Verhoeven, the Robocop actor Peter Weller himself, cinematographer Josh Vacano, production designer Phil Tippett, William Sandell (Rob Bottin...
- 9/26/2023
- by Siddhartha Das
- Film Fugitives
Pete Kozachik, the Oscar-nominated visual effects artist who contributed his stop-motion expertise to such films as The Nightmare Before Christmas, James and the Giant Peach, Corpse Bride and Coraline, has died. He was 72.
Kozachik died peacefully Tuesday in hospice care in his Northern California home of complications from primary progressive aphasia, a rare form of Alzheimer’s, his wife, Katy Moore-Kozachik, told The Hollywood Reporter.
Kozachik also operated a stop-motion camera on Ghostbusters II (1989) and served as director of miniature photography on Starship Troopers (1997) and as a visual effects cameraman on Star Wars: Episode II — Attack of the Clones (2002).
At Industrial Light & Magic, he worked on films including Howard the Duck (1986), Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986), Innerspace (1987) and Willow (1988) before rejoining frequent collaborator Phil Tippett on the RoboCop sequels released in 1990 and ’93.
For director Henry Selick, Kozachik was director of photography on The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993), James and the Giant Peach...
Kozachik died peacefully Tuesday in hospice care in his Northern California home of complications from primary progressive aphasia, a rare form of Alzheimer’s, his wife, Katy Moore-Kozachik, told The Hollywood Reporter.
Kozachik also operated a stop-motion camera on Ghostbusters II (1989) and served as director of miniature photography on Starship Troopers (1997) and as a visual effects cameraman on Star Wars: Episode II — Attack of the Clones (2002).
At Industrial Light & Magic, he worked on films including Howard the Duck (1986), Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986), Innerspace (1987) and Willow (1988) before rejoining frequent collaborator Phil Tippett on the RoboCop sequels released in 1990 and ’93.
For director Henry Selick, Kozachik was director of photography on The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993), James and the Giant Peach...
- 9/18/2023
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
On the road to Halloween, Screambox is unleashing another massive wave of spooky streaming here in September 2023, and we’ve got the full lineup for you today.
First up, a horde of cretaceous creatures attack a coastal town on prom night in Crabs! The indie horror-comedy is streaming exclusively on Screambox right now.
Ahead of Netflix’s new series “Gamera: Rebirth” on September 7, the Gamera Collection stomps onto Screambox on September 4. All 12 films in the giant monster movie franchise are included, from the classic Gamera: The Giant Monster to the influential ’90s reboot, Gamera: Guardian of the Universe, and the latest installment, Gamera the Brave.
Screambox delves into The History of Metal and Horror on September 15. Explore how the two genres have intersected with horror icons like John Carpenter, Sid Haig, Bill Moseley, Kane Hodder, Doug Bradley, and Tom Savini alongside such metal luminaries as Rob Zombie, Kirk Hammett, Dave Mustaine,...
First up, a horde of cretaceous creatures attack a coastal town on prom night in Crabs! The indie horror-comedy is streaming exclusively on Screambox right now.
Ahead of Netflix’s new series “Gamera: Rebirth” on September 7, the Gamera Collection stomps onto Screambox on September 4. All 12 films in the giant monster movie franchise are included, from the classic Gamera: The Giant Monster to the influential ’90s reboot, Gamera: Guardian of the Universe, and the latest installment, Gamera the Brave.
Screambox delves into The History of Metal and Horror on September 15. Explore how the two genres have intersected with horror icons like John Carpenter, Sid Haig, Bill Moseley, Kane Hodder, Doug Bradley, and Tom Savini alongside such metal luminaries as Rob Zombie, Kirk Hammett, Dave Mustaine,...
- 9/2/2023
- by John Squires
- bloody-disgusting.com
The 1990 creature feature Tremors is one of my all-time favorite movies – and in 1996, it received one of the best direct-to-video sequels ever made when Tremors II: Aftershocks (watch it Here) hit store shelves. Today, Arrow Video announced that they’re bringing Tremors II to 4K on November 27th, and they’re also packing the release with new special features! Copies can be pre-ordered through the Arrow Video website.
Directed by S.S. Wilson, who also wrote the screenplay with Brent Maddock, Tremors II: Aftershocks has the following synopsis: After spending all the reward money from his first encounter with the giant, man-eating worms, the Graboids, Earl Bassett agrees to hunt more deadly creatures at a Mexican oil refinery for $50,000 each. Knowing he can’t take on the monsters alone, Earl recruits Burt Gummer, another veteran of the Nevada incident, to provide the weapons. However, Graboids are evolving to attack above ground…...
Directed by S.S. Wilson, who also wrote the screenplay with Brent Maddock, Tremors II: Aftershocks has the following synopsis: After spending all the reward money from his first encounter with the giant, man-eating worms, the Graboids, Earl Bassett agrees to hunt more deadly creatures at a Mexican oil refinery for $50,000 each. Knowing he can’t take on the monsters alone, Earl recruits Burt Gummer, another veteran of the Nevada incident, to provide the weapons. However, Graboids are evolving to attack above ground…...
- 8/25/2023
- by Cody Hamman
- JoBlo.com
In the wake of bringing the original Tremors to 4K Ultra HD, Arrow Video has announced this morning that Tremors 2: Aftershocks is also getting a 4K upgrade this year.
You’ll be able to grab the 1996 sequel on Limited Edition 4K Ultra HD (UK/US/CA), Limited Edition 4K Uhd: Arrow Store Exclusive (UK/US), or Limited Edition Blu-ray (UK/US/CA).
Tremors 2: Aftershocks hits 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray on November 28, 2023.
Arrow Video previews, “Reprising the same mix of nail-biting horror and rib-tickling humor that made the original film so beloved, Tremors 2: Aftershocks is back in a brand new 4K restoration that makes this creature feature pop like never before!”
Special Features include…
New 4K restoration from the original negative by Arrow Films, approved by director S.S. Wilson 4K (2160p) Uhd Blu-ray presentation in Dolby Vision (HDR10 compatible) Original lossless 2.0 and 4.0 surround audio Optional English subtitles...
You’ll be able to grab the 1996 sequel on Limited Edition 4K Ultra HD (UK/US/CA), Limited Edition 4K Uhd: Arrow Store Exclusive (UK/US), or Limited Edition Blu-ray (UK/US/CA).
Tremors 2: Aftershocks hits 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray on November 28, 2023.
Arrow Video previews, “Reprising the same mix of nail-biting horror and rib-tickling humor that made the original film so beloved, Tremors 2: Aftershocks is back in a brand new 4K restoration that makes this creature feature pop like never before!”
Special Features include…
New 4K restoration from the original negative by Arrow Films, approved by director S.S. Wilson 4K (2160p) Uhd Blu-ray presentation in Dolby Vision (HDR10 compatible) Original lossless 2.0 and 4.0 surround audio Optional English subtitles...
- 8/25/2023
- by John Squires
- bloody-disgusting.com
Screambox Original four-part docuseries RoboDoc: The Creation of RoboCop will premiere on August 29, Bloody Disgusting is excited to announce this week. New hour-long episodes will follow weekly through September 19 on the Bd-powered Screambox.
Featuring exclusive insight from stars Peter Weller, Nancy Allen, Ronny Cox, Ray Wise, and Kurtwood Smith, director Paul Verhoeven, writers Edward Neumeier and Michael Miner, special effects legend Phil Tippett, and more, RoboDoc offers an in-depth look at the making and impact of the trailblazing 1987 dystopian action classic.
Part man, part machine, all cop, RoboCop burst onto the scene as the cinematic landscape began to shift and artificial intelligence was capturing the public’s imagination. The boundary-pushing film spawned an unlikely franchise that includes two sequels, an animated series, and a Hollywood remake, along with comic books, video games, toys, and merchandise galore.
RoboDoc: The Creation of RoboCop is co-directed by Chris Griffiths and Eastwood Allen and produced by Gary Smart.
Featuring exclusive insight from stars Peter Weller, Nancy Allen, Ronny Cox, Ray Wise, and Kurtwood Smith, director Paul Verhoeven, writers Edward Neumeier and Michael Miner, special effects legend Phil Tippett, and more, RoboDoc offers an in-depth look at the making and impact of the trailblazing 1987 dystopian action classic.
Part man, part machine, all cop, RoboCop burst onto the scene as the cinematic landscape began to shift and artificial intelligence was capturing the public’s imagination. The boundary-pushing film spawned an unlikely franchise that includes two sequels, an animated series, and a Hollywood remake, along with comic books, video games, toys, and merchandise galore.
RoboDoc: The Creation of RoboCop is co-directed by Chris Griffiths and Eastwood Allen and produced by Gary Smart.
- 8/18/2023
- by John Squires
- bloody-disgusting.com
The power of Lloyd Kaufman, Michael Herz, and Joe Ritter's "The Toxic Avenger" is truly remarkable if you really think about it. Troma Films' 1984 low-budget, superhero-splatter comedy launched a franchise that included an animated series, an off-Broadway rock musical, three film sequels, and now a remake from Macon Blair for Legendary Pictures. We know that production on the film wrapped sometime in 2021, the film is stacked with film fanatic favorites, and that "Game of Thrones" star Peter Dinklage would be picking up the mop as the new Toxie. But today, after the wild and wonderful weirdos at Fantastic Fest announced that "The Toxic Avenger" would be opening this year's festival, even more exciting news came to the surface regarding the film.
"Let's start with the headline grabbers," Fantastic Fest tweeted. Opening night: 'The Toxic Avenger.' Peter Dinklage wields the mop. Jacob Tremblay, Taylour Paige, Elijah Wood, and Kevin Bacon rule.
"Let's start with the headline grabbers," Fantastic Fest tweeted. Opening night: 'The Toxic Avenger.' Peter Dinklage wields the mop. Jacob Tremblay, Taylour Paige, Elijah Wood, and Kevin Bacon rule.
- 8/16/2023
- by BJ Colangelo
- Slash Film
This story about the production design of “Poker Face” first appeared in the Down to the Wire: Comedy issue of TheWrap’s awards magazine.
Even in a galaxy far, far away, offscreen alliances can be forged that come in handy down the road. Director Rian Johnson had the great good fortune to meet stop-motion legend Phil Tippett while he was working on 2017’s “Star Wars: The Last Jedi” at Skywalker Ranch near Tippett’s home, and the pairing led to “The Orpheus Syndrome,” one of the most satisfying episodes of Peacock’s sleuth comedy “Poker Face.” In the episode, a hermetic, Tippett-like designer (Nick Nolte), scarred by a filmmaking mishap years prior, finds himself blindsided by the schemes hatched up by his effects-house mogul boss (Cherry Jones), only to have the resourceful Charlie (Natasha Lyonne) interfere when she becomes his assistant.
“The Orpheus Syndrome” had the full blessing of Tippett,...
Even in a galaxy far, far away, offscreen alliances can be forged that come in handy down the road. Director Rian Johnson had the great good fortune to meet stop-motion legend Phil Tippett while he was working on 2017’s “Star Wars: The Last Jedi” at Skywalker Ranch near Tippett’s home, and the pairing led to “The Orpheus Syndrome,” one of the most satisfying episodes of Peacock’s sleuth comedy “Poker Face.” In the episode, a hermetic, Tippett-like designer (Nick Nolte), scarred by a filmmaking mishap years prior, finds himself blindsided by the schemes hatched up by his effects-house mogul boss (Cherry Jones), only to have the resourceful Charlie (Natasha Lyonne) interfere when she becomes his assistant.
“The Orpheus Syndrome” had the full blessing of Tippett,...
- 8/14/2023
- by Jason Clark
- The Wrap
The eagerly-anticipated RoboCop documentary RoboDoc hits streaming service Screambox & VOD, on August 29th.
It is over 30 years since the Paul Verhoeven classic blasted its way onto the big screen leaving a trail of body parts and blood. Directed by Eastwood Allen and Christopher Griffiths, RoboDoc: The Creation of RoboCop will showcase the chaotic production of the first movie and more. This is part one of what will be a 4-part limited series spanning over four hours.
Though the streaming release is U.S only, Kaleidoscope Home Entertainment have acquired UK distribution rights with a release expected by the end of the year.
In what promises to be the most in-depth insight into the making of the films as well as TV series it features over 60 interviews with cast and crew including Paul Verhoeven, Nancy Allen, Kurtwood Smith, Ronny Cox as well as Phil Tippett.
Initially Peter Weller was not set...
It is over 30 years since the Paul Verhoeven classic blasted its way onto the big screen leaving a trail of body parts and blood. Directed by Eastwood Allen and Christopher Griffiths, RoboDoc: The Creation of RoboCop will showcase the chaotic production of the first movie and more. This is part one of what will be a 4-part limited series spanning over four hours.
Though the streaming release is U.S only, Kaleidoscope Home Entertainment have acquired UK distribution rights with a release expected by the end of the year.
In what promises to be the most in-depth insight into the making of the films as well as TV series it features over 60 interviews with cast and crew including Paul Verhoeven, Nancy Allen, Kurtwood Smith, Ronny Cox as well as Phil Tippett.
Initially Peter Weller was not set...
- 8/1/2023
- by Thomas Alexander
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
“Star Wars” is one of the biggest franchises of all time and has welcomed multiple generations to a galaxy far, far away for 45 years. George Lucas’ groundbreaking vision, which began all the way back in 1977 with “A New Hope,” changed the movie industry forever and, with that, made a mark on the Academy Awards that year with a Best Picture nomination. However, the relationship between “Star Wars” and the Oscars hasn’t always been as lovable as Han Solo and Chewie. In fact, there’s often been a touch of Vader-Luke in the conflicted dynamic between the two institutions. Here’s a breakdown of the history of every “Star Wars” movie at the Academy Awards, ranked in terms of Oscars success.
“A New Hope” (1977)
Dir: George Lucas
Starring: Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Alec Guinness
“Luke Skywalker joins forces with a Jedi Knight, a cocky pilot, a Wookiee and...
“A New Hope” (1977)
Dir: George Lucas
Starring: Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Alec Guinness
“Luke Skywalker joins forces with a Jedi Knight, a cocky pilot, a Wookiee and...
- 7/28/2023
- by Jacob Sarkisian
- Gold Derby
Large scale puppets, miniatures and various other all-practical effects will come together for Grylu Sker, an Icelandic ghost story from the creators of The Haunted Swordsman – along with Sjón, co-writer of Robert Eggers’ The Northman – that is now funding on Kickstarter.
The film will even feature a stop motion animation sequence supervised by Oscar-winner Phil Tippett (Mad God), so it’s no surprise that the Kickstarter fund has been a smashing success so far. Running until August 11, over $90,000 of the total $120,000 goal has already been raised!
Billed as a gothic adventure, Grylu Sker is the tale of a lost explorer set in a world of Icelandic folklore written by Tab Murphy and Icelandic author Sjón (co-writer of The Northman). It is a story of an explorer’s fight for survival on a bleak unforgiving island and also a re-imagining of the legendary Icelandic witch Gryla.
Director Kevin McTurk explains, “This...
The film will even feature a stop motion animation sequence supervised by Oscar-winner Phil Tippett (Mad God), so it’s no surprise that the Kickstarter fund has been a smashing success so far. Running until August 11, over $90,000 of the total $120,000 goal has already been raised!
Billed as a gothic adventure, Grylu Sker is the tale of a lost explorer set in a world of Icelandic folklore written by Tab Murphy and Icelandic author Sjón (co-writer of The Northman). It is a story of an explorer’s fight for survival on a bleak unforgiving island and also a re-imagining of the legendary Icelandic witch Gryla.
Director Kevin McTurk explains, “This...
- 7/27/2023
- by John Squires
- bloody-disgusting.com
In “I’m a Virgo,” Jharrel Jerome plays a 13-foot-tall teenager in Oakland named Cootie raised by his aunt and uncle (Carmen Ejogo and Mike Epps) in secret. Over the course of the show’s first season, Cootie comes out of hiding, makes friends, and contends with media obsession over his height. Like Riley’s first feature “Sorry to Bother You,” the series develops its own internal logic as it transforms into a scathing indictment of capitalism from some very unexpected directions.
None of that would hold up without its central conceit, which proved challenging, given that Jerome is actually five feet and eight inches. Riley made the show with Amazon on a relatively modest $53 million budget (around the same time that its first season of “Lord of the Rings” cost a reported $1 billion). However, the minimal effects budget wasn’t the only reason he turned to puppets and forced perspective...
None of that would hold up without its central conceit, which proved challenging, given that Jerome is actually five feet and eight inches. Riley made the show with Amazon on a relatively modest $53 million budget (around the same time that its first season of “Lord of the Rings” cost a reported $1 billion). However, the minimal effects budget wasn’t the only reason he turned to puppets and forced perspective...
- 6/29/2023
- by Eric Kohn
- Indiewire
Poker Face pulled off many things in its debut season. With its murder-mystery-of-the-week plot in a new spin on the detective genre, the Natasha Lyonne-starring Peacock series from Rian Johnson revived the concept of procedural television for streaming, saw Benjamin Bratt turn a catchy Blues Traveler song into a poetic monologue and recruited Star Wars legend Phil Tippett for one episode’s special effects. But perhaps most impressive, Poker Face assembled an eye-popping roster of guest stars.
How did they nab Nick Nolte to play opposite Cherry Jones in Hollywood saga “The Orpheus Syndrome”? Who knew that Ellen Barkin and Tim Meadows would have such fiery chemistry in theater sendup “Exit Stage Death”? How did they convince the likes of Adrien Brody, Stephanie Hsu, Ron Perlman and Tim Russ to come in for one episode just to be killed off? And, who knew that S. Epatha Merkerson and Judith Light...
How did they nab Nick Nolte to play opposite Cherry Jones in Hollywood saga “The Orpheus Syndrome”? Who knew that Ellen Barkin and Tim Meadows would have such fiery chemistry in theater sendup “Exit Stage Death”? How did they convince the likes of Adrien Brody, Stephanie Hsu, Ron Perlman and Tim Russ to come in for one episode just to be killed off? And, who knew that S. Epatha Merkerson and Judith Light...
- 6/20/2023
- by Jackie Strause
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
VFX legend Phil Tippett, whose totally bonkers “Mad God” stop-motion horror film finally got released last year, is a special effects Emmy hopeful this season for an episode of Rian Johnson’s “Poker Face” on Peacock, written and directed by star Natasha Lyonne. He not only contributed old-school monster puppets but also inspired its story about a crusty old stop-motion filmmaker (Nick Nolte). The busy Tippett also supplied hellish cave set designs for Season 3 of “The Mandalorian” (on Disney+).
Both projects came as a result of Tippett’s “Star Wars” fame, which began when he led the Ilm animation department for “The Empire Strikes Back.” On the “Star Wars” sequel, he co-developed the “go motion” animation technique (stop-motion with motion blur) and was responsible for the At-at Imperial Walkers and the hybrid alien Tauntauns. On “Return of the Jedi,” he won his first Oscar for his creature work; with “Jurassic Park,...
Both projects came as a result of Tippett’s “Star Wars” fame, which began when he led the Ilm animation department for “The Empire Strikes Back.” On the “Star Wars” sequel, he co-developed the “go motion” animation technique (stop-motion with motion blur) and was responsible for the At-at Imperial Walkers and the hybrid alien Tauntauns. On “Return of the Jedi,” he won his first Oscar for his creature work; with “Jurassic Park,...
- 6/10/2023
- by Bill Desowitz
- Indiewire
“Poker Face” star and executive producer Natasha Lyonne makes an indelible impression as Charlie Cale in Season 1 of Rian Johnson’s “Poker Face,” but she’s far from the only one lending memorable acting chops to the Peacock series.
Throughout the mystery-of-the-week comedy’s initial run, guest stars included (but were not limited to) Adrien Brody, Chloë Sevigny, Clea DuVall, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Jameela Jamil, Judith Light, Lil Rel Howery, Nick Nolte, Ron Perlman, Stephanie Hsu and Tim Meadows.
Fitting in this many famous faces with the central one in “Poker Face” required immense coordination by casting directors Mary Vernieu and Bret Howe, as well as the friendships and connections of Lyonne and Johnson. And then it was up to the actors to shine around Lyonne’s human lie detector.
Light led the guest star cast for Episode 5, “Time of the Monkey,” alongside S. Epatha Merkerson. They played Irene Smothers and Joyce Harris,...
Throughout the mystery-of-the-week comedy’s initial run, guest stars included (but were not limited to) Adrien Brody, Chloë Sevigny, Clea DuVall, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Jameela Jamil, Judith Light, Lil Rel Howery, Nick Nolte, Ron Perlman, Stephanie Hsu and Tim Meadows.
Fitting in this many famous faces with the central one in “Poker Face” required immense coordination by casting directors Mary Vernieu and Bret Howe, as well as the friendships and connections of Lyonne and Johnson. And then it was up to the actors to shine around Lyonne’s human lie detector.
Light led the guest star cast for Episode 5, “Time of the Monkey,” alongside S. Epatha Merkerson. They played Irene Smothers and Joyce Harris,...
- 6/8/2023
- by Jennifer Maas
- Variety Film + TV
You know the laugh. You know the beady little eyes and floppy ears. The little Kowakian monkey-lizard Salacious B. Crumb may have been on the wrong side of things in 1983's "Star Wars: Episode IV — Return of the Jedi," but somehow Jabba the Hutt's tiny jester has become a fan favorite over the years. To be fair, he always was. The diminutive cackler was the talk of the playground when I was little, and rightly so.
In case you have somehow managed to exist in the world without seeing this film (and I know there are some of you out there), Salacious B. Crumb is perched at Jabba's side in the film as the crime lord baits a mostly blind Han Solo (Harrison Ford), and captures Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher), chaining her to his side. Crumb helps with the mockery by repeating things Jabba says, and his laugh is ... well,...
In case you have somehow managed to exist in the world without seeing this film (and I know there are some of you out there), Salacious B. Crumb is perched at Jabba's side in the film as the crime lord baits a mostly blind Han Solo (Harrison Ford), and captures Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher), chaining her to his side. Crumb helps with the mockery by repeating things Jabba says, and his laugh is ... well,...
- 5/25/2023
- by Jenna Busch
- Slash Film
The idea of the “movie star” is usually reserved for the uber-famous; Margot Robbie, Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson. The occasional director like Jordan Peele or Christopher Nolan, filmmakers so well established they have their own font. But in the genre world, it’s different. As much as you might see a crowd turn out in force for the game-changing work of a John Carpenter, or a Michelle Yeoh, you’re just as likely to see lines around the block for Dick Smith, Rick Baker, Rob Bottin, Greg Nicotero, Phil Tippett or Tom Savini – Hollywood’s most lauded special effects and make-up artists. The physical creators of some of the most iconic characters in cinema history: our movie monsters.
Which explains Forbidden Worlds Film Festival’s entire strand devoted to ‘Creature Creators’; a series of films shining a spotlight on these visual effects ‘stars’. Charting a course from Willis O’Brien’s...
Which explains Forbidden Worlds Film Festival’s entire strand devoted to ‘Creature Creators’; a series of films shining a spotlight on these visual effects ‘stars’. Charting a course from Willis O’Brien’s...
- 5/21/2023
- by Ben Robins
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
Close your eyes and meditate on the Force for a moment. What's the first thing that comes to mind when you think about "Star Wars"? For me, it's the opening shot of "A New Hope" when the Tantive IV is being stalked by Darth Vader's Star Destroyer, the Devastator. The next image is, without a doubt, Ben Solo igniting Anakin Skywalker's lightsaber to give to Luke in his hut on Tatooine. By leaps and bounds, the lightsaber has become the most recognizable piece of "Star Wars" lore.
Used sparingly throughout the original trilogy, the Jedi's weapon was only unsheathed in a handful of key moments, allowing for maximum impact when Luke, Obi-Wan or Vader ignited their blade. As the Skywalker saga continued into the prequels, the lightsaber was used one too many times and the magic of seeing it on screen was severely diminished. By choosing to not...
Used sparingly throughout the original trilogy, the Jedi's weapon was only unsheathed in a handful of key moments, allowing for maximum impact when Luke, Obi-Wan or Vader ignited their blade. As the Skywalker saga continued into the prequels, the lightsaber was used one too many times and the magic of seeing it on screen was severely diminished. By choosing to not...
- 5/4/2023
- by Drew Tinnin
- Slash Film
Wooden puppet stop-motion samurai awesomeness! A must watch! Hidari is a stop-motion animated film currently in development in Japan under the direction of Masashi Kawamura. The film recently finished a massive funding round on Kickstarter, and they've released a 5-minute pilot short to show everyone how this will look. It Rules!! I've always been a fan of stop-motion, but I've never seen anything like this. The film tells the story of "Jingoro Hidari," a legendary Edo-era craftsman. All characters are made by wood & animated frame-by-frame, just like how Jingoro's wooden sculptures came to life in his stories. This short mixes dynamic action as seen in Japanimation, and the rich analog expressions of stop-motion. "As a kid who was raised watching films by Ray Harryhausen, Kihachiro Kawamoto, and Phil Tippett, I always dreamt about one day creating a long length stop-motion animation film." I'm 100% in. Can't wait to see it finished.
- 4/27/2023
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
Existential quandaries meet expressionist monsters in Takahide Hori’s dystopian world
Envisioning a dystopian future where humans inch closer to immortality while losing the ability to procreate, Takahide Hori’s stop-motion adventure journeys through a gloomy, dilapidated universe filled with exquisitely strange creatures. Considering that the film is mostly a one-man operation – Hori pores over nearly every technical aspect himself – the worldbuilding details are simply extraordinary, bringing to mind the nightmarish virtuosity of Phil Tippett’s Mad God.
Seeking a solution to a diminishing population, a human scientist plunges into the subterranean domains inhabited by the Magarins, mutants whose labour powers the running of the city above. After an accident obliterates his physical form, the mind of our wandering protagonist is transferred into a succession of mechanical guises, blurring the difference between his humanity and the clone workers.
Envisioning a dystopian future where humans inch closer to immortality while losing the ability to procreate, Takahide Hori’s stop-motion adventure journeys through a gloomy, dilapidated universe filled with exquisitely strange creatures. Considering that the film is mostly a one-man operation – Hori pores over nearly every technical aspect himself – the worldbuilding details are simply extraordinary, bringing to mind the nightmarish virtuosity of Phil Tippett’s Mad God.
Seeking a solution to a diminishing population, a human scientist plunges into the subterranean domains inhabited by the Magarins, mutants whose labour powers the running of the city above. After an accident obliterates his physical form, the mind of our wandering protagonist is transferred into a succession of mechanical guises, blurring the difference between his humanity and the clone workers.
- 4/19/2023
- by Phuong Le
- The Guardian - Film News
Peacock’s hit Poker Face has been a hit for creator Rian Johnson, who envisioned recreating the magic of 70s and 80s case-of-the-week classics like Rockford Files and Columbo — and it worked.
Related: Deadline Studio At Contenders Television 2023 – Steven Yeun, Ali Wong, Dominique Fishback, Riley Keough, Natasha Lyonne & More
Johnson tips his hat to star Natasha Lyonne for much of the show’s success.
“I had the idea in my head of wanting to do a case of the week, episodic type show. Something that was kind of like the TV shows I grew up loving like Magnum P.I., Murder, She Wrote and Quantum Leap. I wanted to go back to that versus a show with a mystery that runs across the whole season,” Johnson said during Deadline’s TV Contender event on Saturday. “What I realized is that what these shows have in common is they all have...
Related: Deadline Studio At Contenders Television 2023 – Steven Yeun, Ali Wong, Dominique Fishback, Riley Keough, Natasha Lyonne & More
Johnson tips his hat to star Natasha Lyonne for much of the show’s success.
“I had the idea in my head of wanting to do a case of the week, episodic type show. Something that was kind of like the TV shows I grew up loving like Magnum P.I., Murder, She Wrote and Quantum Leap. I wanted to go back to that versus a show with a mystery that runs across the whole season,” Johnson said during Deadline’s TV Contender event on Saturday. “What I realized is that what these shows have in common is they all have...
- 4/15/2023
- by Rosy Cordero
- Deadline Film + TV
Star Wars Celebration 2023 was full of surprises. Trailers, news, and first looks were unveiled for lucky fans of a galaxy far, far away in London, England. But there was arguably no cooler reveal than the premiere of an episode of the upcoming "Star Wars: Visions Volume 2" made by animation studio Aardman.
The short, titled "I Am Your Mother," is just what you'd expect from an Aardman "Star Wars" project. It is very cute and full of heart, but also extremely funny and imaginative, with every scene packed to the rim with Easter eggs that feel organic, as if we're watching actual people living in this universe with countless tales of heroes.
Stop-motion animation has always been a part of "Star Wars." It is as integral to this franchise as VFX or John Williams' music, with Phil Tippett's work on the At-at and the Tauntauns helping make that film timeless and well-crafted.
The short, titled "I Am Your Mother," is just what you'd expect from an Aardman "Star Wars" project. It is very cute and full of heart, but also extremely funny and imaginative, with every scene packed to the rim with Easter eggs that feel organic, as if we're watching actual people living in this universe with countless tales of heroes.
Stop-motion animation has always been a part of "Star Wars." It is as integral to this franchise as VFX or John Williams' music, with Phil Tippett's work on the At-at and the Tauntauns helping make that film timeless and well-crafted.
- 4/11/2023
- by Rafael Motamayor
- Slash Film
The animated anthology series "Star Wars: Visions," which debuted in 2021, may be the best way to explore the franchise's vast and complicated mythology, better even than legacy shows like "The Book of Boba Fett" and "Obi-Wan Kenobi." Every one of the "Star Wars" movies has featured a lot of background detail, often depicting space aliens of all walks of life casually going about their business, oblivious to the adventures that our heroes may be going through at any given moment. In presenting out-of-timeline animated shorts, "Visions" has the leeway to look into the cracks and explore what life is like in the "Star Wars" universe outside the tiresome saga of the Skywalkers. It has only been through expanded universe fiction, and shows like "Visions," that Starwoids have been able to see what non-soldiers are doing in wartime.
The first seasons of "Visions" featured shorts exclusively from Japanese animation studios, including...
The first seasons of "Visions" featured shorts exclusively from Japanese animation studios, including...
- 4/10/2023
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
Out of all the studios announced to be working on Volume 2 of the animated anthology series, "Star Wars: Visions," it's Aardman Animation's involvement that's got me the most intrigued. The "Wallace & Gromit," "Shaun the Sheep," and "Chicken Run" stop-motion powerhouse's various idiosyncratic settings and toothy-mouthed characters aren't as far removed from the galaxy far, far away as you might imagine, either.
Speaking during the "Visions" panels at "Star Wars" Celebration 2023 in London, England (where members of the /Film crew are currently on the ground), the team behind Aardman's "Visions" short, title "I Am Your Mother," noted that stop-motion has a long history in "Star Wars." Indeed, the Industrial Light & Magic visual effects legend Phil Tippett famously used never-before-seen VFX to make the stop-motion tauntauns and At-ATs more convincing for the Hoth sequences in "The Empire Strikes Back." Magdalena Osinska, the director of "I Am Your Mother," referred to Aardman...
Speaking during the "Visions" panels at "Star Wars" Celebration 2023 in London, England (where members of the /Film crew are currently on the ground), the team behind Aardman's "Visions" short, title "I Am Your Mother," noted that stop-motion has a long history in "Star Wars." Indeed, the Industrial Light & Magic visual effects legend Phil Tippett famously used never-before-seen VFX to make the stop-motion tauntauns and At-ATs more convincing for the Hoth sequences in "The Empire Strikes Back." Magdalena Osinska, the director of "I Am Your Mother," referred to Aardman...
- 4/10/2023
- by Sandy Schaefer
- Slash Film
“Pinocchio” co-directors Guillermo del Toro and Mark Gustafson are going in separate but equally exciting directions. Both are continuing the partnership fostered with ShadowMachine Animation during the production of their highly lauded collaborative effort, which nabbed Netflix its very first Oscar for Best Animated Feature.
Announcing “Milepost 88,” a mystery series described as “sort of Coen brothers-esque,” Gustafson said, “Now that we’ve set a certain famous wooden boy loose on the world, I’m excited to launch another great adventure of my own in stop-motion animation.” The show will be set in Nevada’s Great Basin, where two brothers and gas station proprietors meet a traveler who has a strangely acute knowledge of their family’s history. A parallel story takes place in 1969 and follows a cosmonaut trying to become the first man to walk on the moon. Before teaming with del Toro on “Pinocchio,” Gustafson was Wes Anderson’s...
Announcing “Milepost 88,” a mystery series described as “sort of Coen brothers-esque,” Gustafson said, “Now that we’ve set a certain famous wooden boy loose on the world, I’m excited to launch another great adventure of my own in stop-motion animation.” The show will be set in Nevada’s Great Basin, where two brothers and gas station proprietors meet a traveler who has a strangely acute knowledge of their family’s history. A parallel story takes place in 1969 and follows a cosmonaut trying to become the first man to walk on the moon. Before teaming with del Toro on “Pinocchio,” Gustafson was Wes Anderson’s...
- 3/17/2023
- by Ronald Meyer
- Gold Derby
Stop what you're doing and watch this pilot film for a stop motion animated project out of Japan, a samurai sandalpunk project called Hidari. Hidari popped up on our radars yesterday and we're so smitten with the piece alone that we had to share. Not only is this short amazing on its own we found out that it was just part of the pitch for a feature length stop animated samurai flick. Take our money! The short is done in an animation style the lead director Masashi Kawamura says is called Japanimation. Kawamura cites influences like "Ray Harryhausen, Kihachiro Kawamoto, and Phil Tippett" as well. That's not a bad place to build off of. “Japanimation”– is an animation style born in Japan, that's...
[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...
[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...
- 3/10/2023
- Screen Anarchy
This post contains spoilers for Peacock's "Poker Face."
Rian Johnson's mystery series "Poker Face" is one of the best -- and most successful -- Peacock Originals yet. The series stars Natasha Lyonne, who is always good but has never been better, as Charlie Cale -- a character that only she could play. Charlie is a whip-smart gal, living life on the open road and happening across mysteries that she solves through her uncanny ability to always know when someone is lying. Her ability to build a rapport with anyone throws her into sticky situations, which Johnson uses to craft the show's kooky-yet-dramatically-intense tone.
Lyonne is great, but one of the greatest pleasures of "Poker Face" is the show's impressive roster of guest stars. In every episode, the supporting characters who populate Charlie's world are played by recognizable actors. Famous actors like Judith Light stop by for an episode and...
Rian Johnson's mystery series "Poker Face" is one of the best -- and most successful -- Peacock Originals yet. The series stars Natasha Lyonne, who is always good but has never been better, as Charlie Cale -- a character that only she could play. Charlie is a whip-smart gal, living life on the open road and happening across mysteries that she solves through her uncanny ability to always know when someone is lying. Her ability to build a rapport with anyone throws her into sticky situations, which Johnson uses to craft the show's kooky-yet-dramatically-intense tone.
Lyonne is great, but one of the greatest pleasures of "Poker Face" is the show's impressive roster of guest stars. In every episode, the supporting characters who populate Charlie's world are played by recognizable actors. Famous actors like Judith Light stop by for an episode and...
- 3/9/2023
- by Eric Langberg
- Slash Film
Warning: This article contains major spoilers for the second episode of "The Mandaloran" season 3.
The "Star Wars" universe is home to countless stories. This franchise is a sandbox where anything goes, where any kind of creature and any kind of character can exist and fit into the rest of the universe. We have seen political thrillers, war dramas, grand adventures, seedy underworld tales, unfortunate holiday celebrations, and much more.
It's truly exciting to see the variety of shows we get, even when they lack a cohesive interconnected plan, whether it's the grounded drama of "Andor," the adventure-of-the-week of "The Bad Batch," or the eclectic collection of ideas and genres of "Star Wars Visions" all co-existing at the same time.
So far, season three of "The Mandalorian" is a great example of the eclectic range of "Star Wars." In the first two episodes alone, we have continued to get grand serials-inspired adventure,...
The "Star Wars" universe is home to countless stories. This franchise is a sandbox where anything goes, where any kind of creature and any kind of character can exist and fit into the rest of the universe. We have seen political thrillers, war dramas, grand adventures, seedy underworld tales, unfortunate holiday celebrations, and much more.
It's truly exciting to see the variety of shows we get, even when they lack a cohesive interconnected plan, whether it's the grounded drama of "Andor," the adventure-of-the-week of "The Bad Batch," or the eclectic collection of ideas and genres of "Star Wars Visions" all co-existing at the same time.
So far, season three of "The Mandalorian" is a great example of the eclectic range of "Star Wars." In the first two episodes alone, we have continued to get grand serials-inspired adventure,...
- 3/8/2023
- by Rafael Motamayor
- Slash Film
Warning: This article contains major spoilers for the second episode of "The Mandalorian" season 3.
"The Mandalorian" is back, and season 3 is not wasting any time. Right in its second episode, "Chapter 18: The Mines of Mandalore," the show has already reached its destination, the place that has been mentioned since its first season: Mandalore. The lost home of the titular Mandalorians, Mandalore has been a significant planet in the history of the "Star Wars" galaxy for millennia. The Mandalorian civilization served an important role, going from conquerors, to peaceful people, back to conquerors, and everything in between, before becoming Pacific Islander-inspired navigators and bounty hunters.
Episode 2 finally showed us the surface of the once-splendid Mandalorian homeworld. Din Djarin, unsurprisingly, finds not a beautiful landscape of green and natural beauty, but a desolate wasteland right out of a Phil Tippett nightmare, with terrifying cyborgs that look like the child of General...
"The Mandalorian" is back, and season 3 is not wasting any time. Right in its second episode, "Chapter 18: The Mines of Mandalore," the show has already reached its destination, the place that has been mentioned since its first season: Mandalore. The lost home of the titular Mandalorians, Mandalore has been a significant planet in the history of the "Star Wars" galaxy for millennia. The Mandalorian civilization served an important role, going from conquerors, to peaceful people, back to conquerors, and everything in between, before becoming Pacific Islander-inspired navigators and bounty hunters.
Episode 2 finally showed us the surface of the once-splendid Mandalorian homeworld. Din Djarin, unsurprisingly, finds not a beautiful landscape of green and natural beauty, but a desolate wasteland right out of a Phil Tippett nightmare, with terrifying cyborgs that look like the child of General...
- 3/8/2023
- by Rafael Motamayor
- Slash Film
Warning: This article contains major spoilers for the second episode of "The Mandalorian" season 3.
The season 3 premiere episode of "The Mandalorian" re-introduces warrior Bo-Katan Kryze (Katee Sackhoff) back into the "Star Wars" fray, catching up with the dejected leader on the planet Kalevala where her sister, Satine, was born. Kalevala was a special place for Bo-Katan and all of House Kryze when they and the other Mandalorians were still thriving, before the Great Purge at the hands of the Galactic Empire.
When Din Djarin and Grogu visit Bo-Katan to ask for assistance in finding the Living Waters of Mandalore, she treats the castle on Kalevala as a source of reflection and pain, in much the same way that Darth Vader uses his Fortress on Mustafar to fuel his anger after his defeat by Obi-Wan Kenobi. Bo-Katan is bitter after losing the Darksaber to Moff Gideon and then to Din Djarin...
The season 3 premiere episode of "The Mandalorian" re-introduces warrior Bo-Katan Kryze (Katee Sackhoff) back into the "Star Wars" fray, catching up with the dejected leader on the planet Kalevala where her sister, Satine, was born. Kalevala was a special place for Bo-Katan and all of House Kryze when they and the other Mandalorians were still thriving, before the Great Purge at the hands of the Galactic Empire.
When Din Djarin and Grogu visit Bo-Katan to ask for assistance in finding the Living Waters of Mandalore, she treats the castle on Kalevala as a source of reflection and pain, in much the same way that Darth Vader uses his Fortress on Mustafar to fuel his anger after his defeat by Obi-Wan Kenobi. Bo-Katan is bitter after losing the Darksaber to Moff Gideon and then to Din Djarin...
- 3/8/2023
- by Drew Tinnin
- Slash Film
This post contains spoilers for the second episode of "The Mandalorian" season 3.
There are some freaky creatures and robots in the "Star Wars" universe, but the cyborg creation in the latest episode of "The Mandalorian" is one of the freakiest to grace the franchise. If it looks a little familiar, that might be because it's the work of "Star Wars" special effects maestro Phil Tippett, who helped create some of the ground-breaking VFX tech that brought the original trilogy to life, like the At-at walkers and the Battle of Hoth. Tippett recently blew people's minds with his stop-motion feature film, "Mad God," which took him 30 years to finish and release, and he lent his incredible skills to an episode of Rian Johnson's Peacock series "Poker Face," with multiple stop-motion creations coming to life in terrifying glory.
In the second episode of season 3 of "The Mandalorian," our hero Din Djarin...
There are some freaky creatures and robots in the "Star Wars" universe, but the cyborg creation in the latest episode of "The Mandalorian" is one of the freakiest to grace the franchise. If it looks a little familiar, that might be because it's the work of "Star Wars" special effects maestro Phil Tippett, who helped create some of the ground-breaking VFX tech that brought the original trilogy to life, like the At-at walkers and the Battle of Hoth. Tippett recently blew people's minds with his stop-motion feature film, "Mad God," which took him 30 years to finish and release, and he lent his incredible skills to an episode of Rian Johnson's Peacock series "Poker Face," with multiple stop-motion creations coming to life in terrifying glory.
In the second episode of season 3 of "The Mandalorian," our hero Din Djarin...
- 3/8/2023
- by Danielle Ryan
- Slash Film
A stop-motion horror fantasy film created by renowned artist Skinner and sculptor & monster maestro Ross Kennedy, Shrine of Abominations has finally been unearthed via a newly launched Kickstarter campaign, and Bloody Disgusting readers are going to want to become part of this madness!
The film is a culmination of the two creatives‘ loyalty and love for Jack Kirby’s weird cosmic stories of lost lore, and Ray Harryhausen’s monstrous entities from far off dimensions. The project has been filmed in secret over the past 6 years(!), and features collaboration from special effects legend Phil Tippett (Mad God) and other top animators at Tippett Studios.
Shrine of Abominations depicts a multi-dimensional battle of chaos versus even more chaos, in an expansive world of dark gods, wicked magic and strange creatures.
“Ross and Skinner have sculpted, painted and constructed every creature, set piece, rock and ruin by hand,” we’ve been told.
The film is a culmination of the two creatives‘ loyalty and love for Jack Kirby’s weird cosmic stories of lost lore, and Ray Harryhausen’s monstrous entities from far off dimensions. The project has been filmed in secret over the past 6 years(!), and features collaboration from special effects legend Phil Tippett (Mad God) and other top animators at Tippett Studios.
Shrine of Abominations depicts a multi-dimensional battle of chaos versus even more chaos, in an expansive world of dark gods, wicked magic and strange creatures.
“Ross and Skinner have sculpted, painted and constructed every creature, set piece, rock and ruin by hand,” we’ve been told.
- 3/1/2023
- by John Squires
- bloody-disgusting.com
Spoilers for "Star Wars: The Mandalorian" Chapter 17 – The Apostate follow.
Season 3 of "The Mandalorian" wasted no time in getting right back into the action fantasy that only "Star Wars" can deliver. In the opening minutes of the seventeenth chapter in the series, "The Apostate," the Mandalorian sect that Din Djarin was banished from is attacked by a giant super croc in a breathtaking sequence that's reminiscent of the season 2 premiere when Cob Vanth and Mando unite with the Tusken Raiders to defeat a massive Krayt dragon. In "The Apostate," Din swoops in on his N-1 Starfighter to save the day. As a reward, he is granted an audience with the Mandalorian Armorer (Emily Swallow), who once again tells Din that his only hope of redemption after removing his helmet is to return to their home planet and cleanse himself in the waters of the mines of Mandalore.
After the Galactic...
Season 3 of "The Mandalorian" wasted no time in getting right back into the action fantasy that only "Star Wars" can deliver. In the opening minutes of the seventeenth chapter in the series, "The Apostate," the Mandalorian sect that Din Djarin was banished from is attacked by a giant super croc in a breathtaking sequence that's reminiscent of the season 2 premiere when Cob Vanth and Mando unite with the Tusken Raiders to defeat a massive Krayt dragon. In "The Apostate," Din swoops in on his N-1 Starfighter to save the day. As a reward, he is granted an audience with the Mandalorian Armorer (Emily Swallow), who once again tells Din that his only hope of redemption after removing his helmet is to return to their home planet and cleanse himself in the waters of the mines of Mandalore.
After the Galactic...
- 3/1/2023
- by Drew Tinnin
- Slash Film
Rian Johnson's Peacock series "Poker Face" has had some serious talent both in front of the camera and behind-the-scenes, but episode 8, "The Orpheus Syndrome," employed the talents of one of the greatest special effects masters in Hollywood history.
The episode featured the work of visual effects legend Phil Tippett, who helped bring the creatures of "Star Wars" to life and won his first Academy Award for his work on "Return of the Jedi." Tippett, who has worked in the industry for decades, provided all of the models and set pieces for the episode, which centers around a special effects artist named Arthur (Nick Nolte) who feels guilty about a tragic death on a production years before. Arthur's workshop is the stuff of dreams and nightmares, with Tippett creations peeking from every nook and cranny. We eventually get to see them in motion, and when we do, Tippett's special brand of...
The episode featured the work of visual effects legend Phil Tippett, who helped bring the creatures of "Star Wars" to life and won his first Academy Award for his work on "Return of the Jedi." Tippett, who has worked in the industry for decades, provided all of the models and set pieces for the episode, which centers around a special effects artist named Arthur (Nick Nolte) who feels guilty about a tragic death on a production years before. Arthur's workshop is the stuff of dreams and nightmares, with Tippett creations peeking from every nook and cranny. We eventually get to see them in motion, and when we do, Tippett's special brand of...
- 2/25/2023
- by Danielle Ryan
- Slash Film
[This story contains spoilers to the eighth episode of Poker Face, “The Orpheus Syndrome.”]
The guest stars of Poker Face have something in common. After fateful endings to their season one episodes, they aspire to come back and play a different character for season two.
But Cherry Jones acknowledges that, given the reception to the series (which currently has the rare 99 percent fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes), that might be unlikely.
“I think they wanted to do sort of a rep thing of having guest stars repeat, like they did in Columbo. But, there will be so many people begging to be on this show,” Jones tells The Hollywood Reporter, citing one of the inspirations for the Rian Johnson-created series starring Natasha Lyonne, and speaking before its official season two renewal.
The Peacock murder mystery series released its biggest homage to Hollywood yet with the eighth installment in the 10-episode first season. “The Orpheus Syndrome” starred Cherry Jones as Laura,...
The guest stars of Poker Face have something in common. After fateful endings to their season one episodes, they aspire to come back and play a different character for season two.
But Cherry Jones acknowledges that, given the reception to the series (which currently has the rare 99 percent fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes), that might be unlikely.
“I think they wanted to do sort of a rep thing of having guest stars repeat, like they did in Columbo. But, there will be so many people begging to be on this show,” Jones tells The Hollywood Reporter, citing one of the inspirations for the Rian Johnson-created series starring Natasha Lyonne, and speaking before its official season two renewal.
The Peacock murder mystery series released its biggest homage to Hollywood yet with the eighth installment in the 10-episode first season. “The Orpheus Syndrome” starred Cherry Jones as Laura,...
- 2/24/2023
- by Jackie Strause
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
“Poker Face” has captured the hearts of viewers week after week on Peacock, but Episode 8 — titled “The Orpheus Syndrome” and co-written and directed by Natasha Lyonne — is a true love letter to a specific field of cinema: special effects artists.
Rian Johnson’s ingenious new mystery series follows a young woman named Charlie (Lyonne) with the almost supernatural ability to tell when someone is lying. After getting into some hot water at the casino where she works in Reno, Charlie takes off on an odyssey across the United States, running from a dogged mob enforcer (Benjamin Bratt) and helping to solve mysteries wherever she turns – everything from murderous regional theater performers to a pair of aging hippies out for revenge. And this week’s episode is the show’s most audacious and original hour yet.
Charlie finds herself working as the assistant to a cantankerous stop-motion animator (played by Nick Nolte...
Rian Johnson’s ingenious new mystery series follows a young woman named Charlie (Lyonne) with the almost supernatural ability to tell when someone is lying. After getting into some hot water at the casino where she works in Reno, Charlie takes off on an odyssey across the United States, running from a dogged mob enforcer (Benjamin Bratt) and helping to solve mysteries wherever she turns – everything from murderous regional theater performers to a pair of aging hippies out for revenge. And this week’s episode is the show’s most audacious and original hour yet.
Charlie finds herself working as the assistant to a cantankerous stop-motion animator (played by Nick Nolte...
- 2/23/2023
- by Drew Taylor
- The Wrap
“Poker Face” is one of the most purely enjoyable new shows of the year, and we’ve got an exclusive clip from Episode 8 (co-written and directed by Natasha Lyonne) to tease Nick Nolte’s guest-starring role.
Created by “Knives Out” and “Glass Onion” mastermind Rian Johnson and starring Lyonne as Charlie, a woman with an uncanny knack for knowing when someone is lying (there’s an ongoing joke about how much the central conceit resembles one of the USA Network’s “Blue Sky” dramas), the series follows in the footsteps of “Columbo” – less whodunnit than whydunit. There are threads of connective tissue between the episodes but each week focuses on a different mystery. And this week’s is a humdinger, so you can imagine how thrilled we are to be debuting an exclusive clip (watch above).
In the episode, “The Orpheus Syndrome,” Lyonne starts working for a reclusive stop-motion animator...
Created by “Knives Out” and “Glass Onion” mastermind Rian Johnson and starring Lyonne as Charlie, a woman with an uncanny knack for knowing when someone is lying (there’s an ongoing joke about how much the central conceit resembles one of the USA Network’s “Blue Sky” dramas), the series follows in the footsteps of “Columbo” – less whodunnit than whydunit. There are threads of connective tissue between the episodes but each week focuses on a different mystery. And this week’s is a humdinger, so you can imagine how thrilled we are to be debuting an exclusive clip (watch above).
In the episode, “The Orpheus Syndrome,” Lyonne starts working for a reclusive stop-motion animator...
- 2/22/2023
- by Drew Taylor
- The Wrap
The first few minutes of White Plastic Sky, the animated feature from Hungarian directors Tibor Bánóczki and Sarolta Szabó that debuted at the Berlin Film Festival 2023, sketch a future world with echoes of past cinematic dystopias.
The world has been stripped of life, the soil poisoned, and all animals driven to extinction. Humanity survives under a huge geodesic dome (the plastic sky of the title) and has learned to feed on itself. At the age of 50, every citizen gets a special implant that turns them into a food source for the next generation. In a scene resembling the pod farms of the Matrix films, we see how implanted humans are transmogrified into a hybrid plant species, becoming trees that provide oxygen and food for those under the dome.
“There are similarities in our story to Soylent Green or Logan’s Run, similar motifs to other high-concept, or hardcore science fiction,” admits Bánóczki,...
The world has been stripped of life, the soil poisoned, and all animals driven to extinction. Humanity survives under a huge geodesic dome (the plastic sky of the title) and has learned to feed on itself. At the age of 50, every citizen gets a special implant that turns them into a food source for the next generation. In a scene resembling the pod farms of the Matrix films, we see how implanted humans are transmogrified into a hybrid plant species, becoming trees that provide oxygen and food for those under the dome.
“There are similarities in our story to Soylent Green or Logan’s Run, similar motifs to other high-concept, or hardcore science fiction,” admits Bánóczki,...
- 2/17/2023
- by Scott Roxborough
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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